Monday, May 25, 2020
“Greed and “Selfishness”
If one pays close note to anything the left says or seeks to implement, one finds a consistent theme. Virtually all polemics of the left boil down to an accusation that anyone not acting in accordance with their worldview and dictates is, “selfish.” Now, not only is wanting increased income “selfish,” but so is not wearing a mask or desiring to work when a politician commands us not to. Related to this projecting nonsense is the left’s obsession with “greed” — an attribute they never see in themselves as they seek more power and try to impose their entire worldview upon everyone else. In this view, Donald Trump was automatically “greedy” for accumulating billions but Nancy Pelosi was kind and and caring while only having millions and imposing edicts upon the population.
Many years ago, I sought to define greed. I think the following is a more accurate appraisal of the concept than what is commonly tossed around today as a means to signal one’s virtue:
Greed is;
when one's lust for material gain or power surpasses a point where their intentions, actions, and interactions are peaceful, honest, and responsible.
By this definition, the mere -- normal -- desire to succeed, excel, and acquire is not “greed” no matter how wealthy or accomplished one may be. And, of course, one can be “poor” and exhibit all the typical attributes one conjures in one’s mind when imagining “greed.”
Most business people are not “greedy,” but many politicians surely are. In the end, the pathological and morally corrupt attributes defined above as greed are standard behavior amongst those who seek to impose their will through compulsion and thus increase their power and authority over the lives of others. Artists and entertainers may not be greedy (although many certainly are) but there are many who are self-absorbed to the point that they reach a similar threshold of weak character.
Leftist pontificator (and film director) Oliver Stone once had his straw-man character Gordon Gecko (in the movie, “Wall Street”) proclaim that “greed is good” while preaching a litany of cliche’s that have nothing to do with the normal human desire to excel and improve their living standard and lifestyle.
Some people want a new yacht. I want a new iPad. Another person may want new underwear. To determine “greed” based on what someone else wants and is able to acquire is ultimately as accurate an appraisal of greed as that of chastising a child for wanting another cookie.
If anyone is truly selfish, it is the idiots who keep demanding that we submit to their schemes of imaginary nobility while they pursue lives lacking in self-reflection.
I hope I can get a new iPad next year...and the fact that some people own the company that makes them is irrelevant.
